Yesterday Hubby and I received an email update about a dear friend of ours. It was devastating news and I need everyone to pray for our friend.
Robb is 39 years old and has been diagnosed with ALS, which is commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It is horrible disease that completes takes everything from the body, leaving the mind trapped in a body that does not move or function anymore. The disease usually takes the person's life in 2-3 years.
Little background on Robb. Hubby and I have known Robb since we were dating. Met him on the soccer field, where else. Robb and his brother Mike are the funniest, "flirtiest" guys ever. (OK - Mike is married to a wonderful lady, they have an adorable little boy, but his eyes still sparkle of FLIRT!) Robb has always had the most incredible looking legs EVER!
He has the sweetest heart of any guy. When we had Crash, Robb, being the number one fan of University of Kentucky, brought him a gift, an UoK little uniform. Now, here is the amazing part. Pootie was 2. Robb with his giant heart, brought him a gift too. ROBB IS/WAS SINGLE!!! He did this on his own!!! He brought Jack a brand new "Big Green Machine" (a big-wheel). Jack was in hog heaven, it was his first big-wheel.
Robb shows up at soccer games, stops by just to give a hug and say hello. He is just that kind of guy. Our family loves him. (I will share that he has said for years that he is waiting on me to divorce Hubby and marry him. :) Hubby says take her.)
He is phase 1, and has been for about 6 months. He has met with the ALS specialist and right now they say that he is not currently showing any thoracic spinal damage and his “risk” reflexes look ok right now and those factors, along with his age, are positives for indicating a slow progression of the disease at this time. Doctors are going to go ahead and start treating it as ALS right away, he starts the only current ALS drug right away, as well as vitamin. E for muscle cramps, multivitamins and green tea (recent Harvard study with positive results). The drug can be harsh on the liver, so he’ll go for regular liver panels every 3 months to make sure his liver is tolerating the treatment.
Robb will likely be eligible for a clinical trial with an antibiotic that starts in April. He also spent time with a nutritionist, speech, occupational and physical therapists. The first had specific diet recommendations (high protein) and regular frequency of meals; the OT has given him adaptive eating utensils and ordered a special boot for balance; PT has entered him into the clinic’s exercise program which is very specific. Speech therapy felt his swallowing had not progressed to the point of needing intervention at this time (good news!). He’s “okay” in spirit right now- kind of taking it all in and ready to put the team’s plan into action.
Please pray for our friend and for his entire family.
The daily ramblings and rantings of a stay at home wife and mom of four. Some days it's all about who went to time out.....me.....or them.....
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Snow Day 2009. This is the fort that two of Lola's BFF's (yes they are in high school) Leah and Jess built for her. So spoiled!
Lola in the snow. I was able to keep Lola & Crash inside until about 8:30am. They woke up at 6:00am and nagged me until I let them out.
And Crash - he stayed outside all day long!!!
Pootie was grounded and NO I didn't not let him outside to even touch the snow. Grounded is grounded!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Funny subject line...
I've worked from home today. It's nice, the pups hang out under my desk at my feet. It's so cold so that's nice! :)
I was checking my "regular" email.
This was the subject line......
Honest. I really can't make this stuff up. It was from a "normal" clothing store that might have the state of NEW YORK in its name, or not.
Obviously they didn't get the memo that I was prego and would no longer in need of anything Crazy, Sexy or Cheap.
Silly ads.
I was checking my "regular" email.
This was the subject line......
Subject: Crazy. Sexy. Cheap.
Honest. I really can't make this stuff up. It was from a "normal" clothing store that might have the state of NEW YORK in its name, or not.
Obviously they didn't get the memo that I was prego and would no longer in need of anything Crazy, Sexy or Cheap.
Silly ads.
Monday, January 19, 2009
3 1/2 days
What is the significance of 3 1/2 days?
I'll tell you.
It's the amount of time it took Hubby's crazy college girl friend to find him on facebook.
Seriously.
We had a bet. I said she would do it within a week. She beat that.
Wonder how I know that - because the crazy girl follows us!!! Yep - moved to Durham after getting married. She found us. Moved back to Charlotte, you guessed it, she found us. and don't even suggest that Hubby is helping her keep tabs on him. That is soooo not my hubby.
And the funnier part is, I set up the facebook page for him while he was headed to work on Friday morning....and we had this conversation. How long until C.A.B. finds you?
Love it when I am right. Hubby said I did this on purpose.
Maybe. Let's see how long it takes the stalker girl friend from "after college" to find him. :)
hahahaha.
I'll tell you.
It's the amount of time it took Hubby's crazy college girl friend to find him on facebook.
Seriously.
We had a bet. I said she would do it within a week. She beat that.
Wonder how I know that - because the crazy girl follows us!!! Yep - moved to Durham after getting married. She found us. Moved back to Charlotte, you guessed it, she found us. and don't even suggest that Hubby is helping her keep tabs on him. That is soooo not my hubby.
And the funnier part is, I set up the facebook page for him while he was headed to work on Friday morning....and we had this conversation. How long until C.A.B. finds you?
Love it when I am right. Hubby said I did this on purpose.
Maybe. Let's see how long it takes the stalker girl friend from "after college" to find him. :)
hahahaha.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Keeping the Vocabulary Sharp
1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
2. Ignoranus: A person who is both stupid and an asshole. This one is my favorite! I guarantee you that I can use that in a sentence!!!
3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future. I had to deal with a few bozone's yesterday.
6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high
8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido: All talk and no action.
14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.
2. Ignoranus: A person who is both stupid and an asshole. This one is my favorite! I guarantee you that I can use that in a sentence!!!
3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future. I had to deal with a few bozone's yesterday.
6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high
8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido: All talk and no action.
14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.
On my high horse
I have a dear friend that is a home schooling mom. Don't be judgemental people. I get why she started doing all those years ago with her first and why she continues to do it with some of the kids. Especially boys.
There is a HUGE flaw in the way our boys are taught. Let me go ahead and state for the record that my boys are smart. VERY smart. Pootie is in Honors classes in middle school doing very well, and Crash is doing fabulously in 4th grade. So I'm not making excuses for them.
For the most part female teachers have NO idea how to teach boys, especially if they do not have boys at the age they are teaching. And I am speaking more specifically about middle school teachers at this moment.
If I hear of one more "cute" little book report or project coming home for Pootie, I am going to scream. SERIOUSLY!!! It has been one ridiculous "cute" project after the other since school started in August.
For the most part - boys do not like to color, cut paper and make little collages about themselves. IT IS STUPID!! Girls do, that is a girl thing - hello, I remember doing it even into high school for some of my friends. I even cross stitched a thingy for one friend (IN HIGH SCHOOL) of all of the things that meant something to us.
Back to the subject at hand.
My son is being inundated by this one teacher and her cutsie ways. If she thinks she is making the work more interesting, more exciting, SHE IS NOT!!!!! He would rather write a paper. Ahhhh- or is it that in an Honors Language Arts class you, as the teacher, don't want to grade papers, but would rather grade them on their ability to draw?
Umm, maybe I have hit on something. It is easier to grade a picture than it is to read a flippin paper! I am not exaggerating. The last book report was to create a quilt square about the book....and all the pictures had to be hand drawn and colored. No clip art.
How stupid is that. What does that tell the teacher that the student learned from the book? Dare I say NOTHING?
And don't even get me started on how far this school is behind in the technology department. Our elementary school is packed with the latest advances in technology. The use SmartBoards. Last year Pootie had the ability to create a power point presentation as a book report. OR not, they could choose to do an old fashion poster board if that was more to the child's liking. None of them did. They loved using the power point software, adding clipart, typing up snippets, adding music and animation. That to me, makes sense. Coloring a quilt square?????? In middle school? We are going backwards here folks!!!
Wake up - smell the dirty sweaty boys in the classroom, catch up to 2009.
Add stupid cutsie girlie projects to the list of reasons why I think about home schooling.
There is a HUGE flaw in the way our boys are taught. Let me go ahead and state for the record that my boys are smart. VERY smart. Pootie is in Honors classes in middle school doing very well, and Crash is doing fabulously in 4th grade. So I'm not making excuses for them.
For the most part female teachers have NO idea how to teach boys, especially if they do not have boys at the age they are teaching. And I am speaking more specifically about middle school teachers at this moment.
If I hear of one more "cute" little book report or project coming home for Pootie, I am going to scream. SERIOUSLY!!! It has been one ridiculous "cute" project after the other since school started in August.
For the most part - boys do not like to color, cut paper and make little collages about themselves. IT IS STUPID!! Girls do, that is a girl thing - hello, I remember doing it even into high school for some of my friends. I even cross stitched a thingy for one friend (IN HIGH SCHOOL) of all of the things that meant something to us.
Back to the subject at hand.
My son is being inundated by this one teacher and her cutsie ways. If she thinks she is making the work more interesting, more exciting, SHE IS NOT!!!!! He would rather write a paper. Ahhhh- or is it that in an Honors Language Arts class you, as the teacher, don't want to grade papers, but would rather grade them on their ability to draw?
Umm, maybe I have hit on something. It is easier to grade a picture than it is to read a flippin paper! I am not exaggerating. The last book report was to create a quilt square about the book....and all the pictures had to be hand drawn and colored. No clip art.
How stupid is that. What does that tell the teacher that the student learned from the book? Dare I say NOTHING?
And don't even get me started on how far this school is behind in the technology department. Our elementary school is packed with the latest advances in technology. The use SmartBoards. Last year Pootie had the ability to create a power point presentation as a book report. OR not, they could choose to do an old fashion poster board if that was more to the child's liking. None of them did. They loved using the power point software, adding clipart, typing up snippets, adding music and animation. That to me, makes sense. Coloring a quilt square?????? In middle school? We are going backwards here folks!!!
Wake up - smell the dirty sweaty boys in the classroom, catch up to 2009.
Add stupid cutsie girlie projects to the list of reasons why I think about home schooling.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Back from the Chr'mas "Vacation"
So I have to tell ya, my cousin, HollyBeth, and her husband, Keith, are the coolest "things" ever. They have a very nice motor home. Keith purchased it this past summer because he wanted to take a long road trip. They have used this thing probably more than they thought. It's really quite nice.
Anywho - we had to go to GramMabels Friday night - which in the past HollyBeth and I have tried to make a good old party. HELLO, I'm prego, so much for good old party. Well, they still showed up at GramMabel's early - as they have done now for 4 years, to suffer with us...with the motor home. And camped out in GramMabel's back yard.
Pretty cool huh.
Now understand. We do love GramMabel. But there is just something that ties us all up in knots about going to her house. It's HOT all the time. Like 86 degrees in the house. And she smokes menthol cigarettes. And it's just really packed full of stuff everywhere-to the point, you can sorta not move. Chri-ma' decorations stay us year round. Just cause. And she is a major control freak. Which can be a problem since HollyBeth and I tend to be controlling. (Stop laughing.) Every year, we have to clean out her refrigerators. It's a gag-fest. This year, HB was on her own, I just kept gagging. (I'm prego remember?) We think there was cat poop in one. SERIOUSLY!!!
Anyway. They came early, which is my point. They don't have to. They only live an 1 1/2 away. It used to be they would just drive down before the festivities on Saturday. I said it wasn't fair, because we had to come from further away and had to stay.
And so our party began. Clean, drink, be together, eat pizza or nachos and just hang out. OH, and cook, because you have to be afraid of Mabel cooking anything. Not too sure how old some of the meat is!!!!!
GAG.
Anywho - we had to go to GramMabels Friday night - which in the past HollyBeth and I have tried to make a good old party. HELLO, I'm prego, so much for good old party. Well, they still showed up at GramMabel's early - as they have done now for 4 years, to suffer with us...with the motor home. And camped out in GramMabel's back yard.
Pretty cool huh.
Now understand. We do love GramMabel. But there is just something that ties us all up in knots about going to her house. It's HOT all the time. Like 86 degrees in the house. And she smokes menthol cigarettes. And it's just really packed full of stuff everywhere-to the point, you can sorta not move. Chri-ma' decorations stay us year round. Just cause. And she is a major control freak. Which can be a problem since HollyBeth and I tend to be controlling. (Stop laughing.) Every year, we have to clean out her refrigerators. It's a gag-fest. This year, HB was on her own, I just kept gagging. (I'm prego remember?) We think there was cat poop in one. SERIOUSLY!!!
Anyway. They came early, which is my point. They don't have to. They only live an 1 1/2 away. It used to be they would just drive down before the festivities on Saturday. I said it wasn't fair, because we had to come from further away and had to stay.
And so our party began. Clean, drink, be together, eat pizza or nachos and just hang out. OH, and cook, because you have to be afraid of Mabel cooking anything. Not too sure how old some of the meat is!!!!!
GAG.
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